Retracting type theater chair



Bea 20, 1949 J. J. ROMAN 2,492,118 RETRACTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR Filed July 27, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 TTORNEY Dec. 20,1949 v J. J. ROMAN 2,492,118

RETRACTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR Filed July 27, ,1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 11. I .1 i lu n INVENTOR Jblzu J: Roman Patented Dec. 20, 1949 RETRACTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR John J. Roman, Grand Rapids, Mich, assignor to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids,

Mich., acorporation of New Jersey,

Application July 27, 1946, Serial No. 686,674

8, Claims. (01. 155-116) present invention relates to chairs and V inure particularly to chairs of the retracting type for installationin theaters, auditoriums and the The primary objects of the invention are to provide an improved chair of the retracting type whereinthe chair occupant may move rearwardly in a sitting position in order to permit other theaterpatrons to pass in front of him; to provide such a chair which is of simple construction 21 and which comprises few moving parts; to proride such a chair which maybe easily and com-,

i ortably retracted and returned to forward position by the chair occupant; and in general to provide a retracting chair which is eflicient in operation, reasonably economical in manufacture, and attractive in appearance.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a retracting chair in its forward position of occupancy;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the same taken on line 2-2 of Figure 3; i i Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevational View showing the right hand side of the chair;

Figured is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 and showing the chair in its rearwardly retracted position; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2 and showing the parts of the chair in their rearable manner and which may if desired be rigidly connected by a suitable cross-tie (not shown).

As here shown, the only connections between the atandardsare the chair parts hereinafter described and the floor upon which the standards are installed, and the word frame as herein Bed is intended to include spaced standards as well as a unitary structure. 1 The chair proper generally comprises a seat and back assembly in which the chair seat I l and the chair back l2 are pivotally connected for relative movement. The chair back I2 is mounted at its opposite sides on spaced back carriers I3 as by means of rivets i4, The chair seat II is mounted on spaced seat carriers l5 at opposite aides thereof bymeans of brackets l6 secured to the seat Ii byrivets l1 and which brackets ISare pivotally connected at IE to the seat carriers l5. The rearward ends of the seat carriers l5 are plvotally connected at l9 to the lower, rearward parts of the back carriers l3.

ends or corners of the adjacent back carriers l3 thus connecting the seat and back in pivoted assembly.

The seat carriers l5 and back carriers I 3 are mounted on the standards ill by meanssof rear depending links 20 having their upper ends pivotally connected to the standards and their lower ends pivotallyconnected to the seat carriers and back carriers at their pivotal connection IS. The seat and back assembly is thus supported in the rear for forward and rearward movements by the swingable depending links 20.

Intermediate depending links 2| support the back carriers I3 and back I 2 forwardly of the rear links 20, said links 2| having their upper ends pivotally connected to the standards I0 and their lower ends pivotally connected to the forward These swingable intermediate links 2| are of greater length than the rear links 20, and by this arrangement as the chair back is moved rearwardly it is also tilted to a near-vertical position thus to minimize the space required to the rear of the chair for retracion.

The forward portions of the seat carriers l5 and of the seat I I are forwardly-rearwardly movably supported by swingable, upstanding front supporting levers 22 having their lower ends pivotally connected to the standards I!) and their upper ends pivotally connected to the upper forward corners of the seat carriers I5. These front levers 22 are preferably connected by a cross-tie or strut 23 which adds to the stability of the structure.

It will be seen that as the chair is retracted by the occupant thereof, the seat moves rearwardly in asubstantially straight path while the back moves rearwardly and is simultaneously turned to a near vertical position as seen in Figure 5. This rearward retracting movement is stopped by contact of the front levers 22 with stops or bumpers 24 on the standards i l. Forward, returning movement of the chair from its position shown in Figure 5 to its position shown in Figure l is similarly stopped by contact of the front levers 22 with stops 25 on the standards.

It will be seen that the chair seat I] may be folded upwardly to facilitate sweeping under the chair independently of its retracting and returning movements, by reason of its pivotal mountings on the seat carriers IS. The seat is supported in its lowered, substantially horizontal position for occupancy by cooperating stops 26 on the brackets l6 and 21 on the seat carriers I5.

While but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that certain details may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a chair, a frame, a seat and back assembly wherein the seat and back are pivotally connected for relative movement, links-swingably depending from the frame and having their lower ends pivotally connected to the rearward part of the seat and back assembly, other links swinge ably depending from the frame and having their lower ends pivotally connected to the backforwardly of the first-mentioned links, andrrneans mounted on the frame for supporting the seat forwardly of the first-mentioned links.

2. In a chair, a frame, a seat and backassembly wherein the seat and back are pivotally connected for relative movement, links swingably depending from the frame and having their lower ends pivotally connected to the rearward part of the seat and back assembly, other links swingably depending from the frame and having their lower'ends pivotally connected to the back forwardly of the first-mentioned links, and levers swingably up- .standing from the frame and having their upper 1 ends pivotally connected to the seat forwardly of the first-mentioned links.

3. In a chair, a frame, a seat and back assembly wherein the seat and back are pivotallyconnected for relative movement, links swingably depending from the frame and having their lower ends pivotally connected to the rearward part of the seat and back assembly,other links of greater length than the first-mentioned-links swingably depending from the frame and having their lower ends pivotally connected to the back forwardly of the first-mentioned links, and

means mounted on the frame for supporting the seat forwardly of the first-mentionedlinksL 4. In a chair, a frame, a seat and back assemly wherein the seat and back are pivotally connected for relative movement, links swingably depending from the frame and having their lower ends pivotally connected to the rearward part of the seat and back assembly, other links of greater length than the first-mentioned links swingably depending from the frame and having their lower ends pivotally connected to the back forably'depending from opposite sides of the frame.

and pivotally connected at their lower ends to the rearward parts of the seat carriers and to "the lower rearward parts of the back carriers,

other links swingably depending from opposite sides of the frame and pivotally connected atjtheir.

lower ends to the forward parts of the back carriers, and means mounted on the frame for supporting the forward parts of the seat carriers.

6. In a chair, a frame, spaced seat carriers and back carriers arranged with a pivotally OOH: nected seat carrier and back carrier ateach-opposite' side of the frame, a seat mounted on the seat carriers, a back mounted on the back carriers, links swingably depending from opposite sides of the frame and pivotally connected at their lower ends to the rearward parts of the seat carriers and to the lower rearward parts of the back carriers, other links swingably depending from opposite sides of the frame and pivotally connected at their lower ends to the forward parts of the back carriers, and levers swingably upstanding from the frame and having their upper ends pivotally connected to the forward parts of .,.the seat carriers.

7. In a chair, spaced chair-supporting standards, spaced seat carriers and spaced back carseat carriers on the standards for forward and rearward movements and the back carriers on the standards for forward and rearward movemerits and tilting movement about ahorizontal axis, said means comprising rear links having their upper ends pivotally connected to the standards and their lower ends pivotally connected to the seatcarriers and the back carriers at. their aforesaid pivotal connections, intermediate links having their upper endspivotally connected to the standards and their lower ends pivotally connected to the forward ends of the back carriers, and front levers having their lower ends pivotally I connected to the standards and their upper ends pivotally connected to the forward ends ofthe seat; carriers. 1

8. In a chair, spaced chair-supporting standards spaced seat carriers and spaced back carriers associated with said standards and havin pivotal connections at their rearward ends, a seat ,mounted on the seat carriers turnably abouta horizontal axis, cooperating stop meanson. the seat and the seat carriers, for supnorting theforward portion of the seat when the, sameis in a substantially horizontal position for-occupancy,

a back mounted on-the back carriers, and means riers at their aforesaid pivotal connections, intermediate links having their upper endspivotally connected to the standards and their lower ends pivotally connected to the, forward ends of the back carriers, and front levers having their-lower ends pivotally connected to. the standards and REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 141,457 Nolan Aug. 5, 1 873 320,265 Maddox June 16,1885 1,789,337 Knabusch et al Jan. 2 0;1 9.31 2,430,356 McDonald NovQ4, 1947 

